Abhinav Bindra-led Task Force urges Sports Ministry to set up NCSECB

An Abhinav Bindraled Task Force set up by the Sports Ministry has pointed out ldquosystemic deficitsrdquo in Indiarsquos sports administration including ldquoinadequate and illequippedrdquo athletes for governance roles and recommended the setting up of an autonomous statutory body to train a specialised cadre that would also feature IAS officersIndepth reportThe 170page report has been submitted to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya who on Tuesday said ldquoall its recommendations will be implementedrdquoTo address the current ldquogapsrdquo that ail the Sports Authority of India SAI the National Sports Federations NSFs and the state departments the committee has recommended that a National Council for Sports Education and Capacity Building NCSECB be set up under the Ministry ldquoto regulate accredit and certify sports administration trainingrdquoThe ninemember Task Force was set up in August this year and featured among others Adille Sumariwala and former Target Olympic Podium Schemersquos CEO Cdr Rajesh Rajagopalan ldquoThis report is both diagnostic and prescriptive It identifies the structural functional and systemic gaps that currently constrain sports governance but more importantly it charts a roadmap for transformationrdquo said Bindra in its prefaceThe Task Force was entrusted with a wideranging mandate and it included evaluation of the current administrative framework across institutions such as SAI NSFs and state associationsThe SAI came in for some heavy scrutiny from the Task Force along with the state sports departments ldquoNeither SAI nor state departments have a dedicated sports administration service Instead roles are filled by generalist civil servants or contractual staff often lacking sectorspecific expertise This has resulted in adhoc decisionmaking weak institutional continuity and an absence of longterm professionalisationrdquoThe panel then mentioned the ldquopoor coordinationrdquo between SAI NSFs and state departments calling it ldquofragmentedrdquo ldquoOverlapping roles duplication of functions and unclear accountability frameworks reduce efficiency and create systemic bottlenecksrdquo it saidNo system for trainingThe panel also noted that while the soontobeimplemented National Sports Governance Act makes athlete representation in NSF Executive Committees mandatory there is no system in place to train them for the jobldquoIndia does not yet have a structured Dual Athlete Career Pathway integrated with the LongTerm Athlete Development LTAD model which supports athletes in combining elite performance with education leadership and governance skillsrdquo it saidOvercentralisation of authority in NSFs was cited as a major governance concern ldquoIn many NSFs the president exercises disproportionate control over operations finance and appointments This contrasts sharply with global norms where governance and execution are clearly separatedThe panel also recommended that IAS and state cadre officers must be trained in structured sports governance given their central role in implementation ldquoCivil service academies should integrate sports governance training to sensitise future bureaucratsrdquoTask Forcersquos key recommendations Setting up of an autonomous statutory body mdash National Council for Sports Education and Capacity Building NCSECB mdash to train a specialised cadre that would also feature IAS officers Civil service academies should integrate sports governance training to sensitise future bureaucrats Improve coordination between Sports Authority of India SAI National Sports Federations NSFs and state departments for clearer accountability Reduce amount of presidential control in the functioning of NSFs Governance and execution need to be separated India requires a Dual Athlete Career Pathway to be integrated into the LongTerm Athlete Development LTAD model to train retired athletes in administration leadership and governanceThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever